Fluval Edge LED

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Duffman22

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Messages
53
Location
Chicago
Hello AA! I have an edge and am very disappointed in the the lights. They lasted 2 months. I would like to switch to LEDs but I have no idea where to start. I prefer a simple mod. Something I can put in the same outlet. I have several low light plants, RCS and Endlers. Water conditions with API are perfect. My plants are growing fine, shrimp and endlers are reproducing.
 
Yes... As far as I know they do. They are meant to replace halogen bulbs and they are the same kind... MR11. I haven't gotten mine in the mail yet but I'll keep you posted.
 
Thanks for responding. Do these just plug right in to the original light socket?

UPDATE: I just wanted to let everyone know that I successfully changed the lighting on my Fluval Edge by getting MR11 LED bulbs from eBay. It looks much brighter now :dance:
 
electro_cute said:
UPDATE: I just wanted to let everyone know that I successfully changed the lighting on my Fluval Edge by getting MR11 LED bulbs from eBay. It looks much brighter now :dance:

Awesome! Thanks for sharing :)
I'm off to eBay now!!
 
Update: These lights are brilliant. The only problem I'm now having is with water corrosion due to the completely open housing and exposure of the LED panels.

Anyone have a solution?

Cheers,
ozmo
 
Update: These lights are brilliant. The only problem I'm now having is with water corrosion due to the completely open housing and exposure of the LED panels.

Anyone have a solution?

Cheers,
ozmo

Glad to hear you like the lights! Is your tank salt-water? Mine is a freshwater one and I haven't had any problems with corrosion. Only option would be to get a piece of glass or acrylic and affix it to the lights with crazy glue or sillicone.

I hope that helps :D
 
electro_cute said:
Glad to hear you like the lights! Is your tank salt-water? Mine is a freshwater one and I haven't had any problems with corrosion. Only option would be to get a piece of glass or acrylic and affix it to the lights with crazy glue or sillicone.

I hope that helps :D

Mine is freshwater also but with the small amount of splashing up onto the lights I can see signs of corrosion.

Acrylic with silicone sounds like a plan.

Cheers,
ozmo
 
If you are growing plants, you might want to read up on LED light and their spectrum. I don't know what the specifics are on the bulbs that are being recommended, but knowing what the PAR and LUX at the depth of your tank would assure you that it will be sufficient for plant growth.

LED's are getting a bad reputation from some who didn't purchase the correct type and since they are having problems with their tanks they are blaming the lights. Purchasing the right type eliminates those issues.
 
Just got the Edge, really neat kit! And I just ordered the MR 11 LED's on Amazon. FYI, they're cheaper ($8.75 each) than what I found on eBay plus if you have a prime membership that gets them to you for free 2 day shipping (no tax)! There's also the option to choose if you want them in cool white (10K) or warm white (6K). I opted for the 10K color... I'm excited and can't wait to get them!

Anyway, I'm worried since these bulbs aren't protected from moisture. I've read in some other forum that people have sealed them with clear coat paint enamel or clear coat nail polish. Some have even wrapped them in plastic and tied them off... I'll look in to the Acrylic and silicone option too... I just don't know what's best?

Just wanted to follow along here to hear of any successful methods.
 
Just wanted to add to this thread in case someone else was searching for solutions to seal these MR11 LED bulbs from water moisture. I was initially considering the clear coat enamel i read people do but after reading the directions on the spray can, it said to not apply to surfaces that exceed ~200F. I couldn't find the working temperature of the MR11 LED's sold by LED Wholesalers (via Amazon) referenced anywhere online. However, other comparable MR11 LED's I found run approx. 35-55C (roughly 155F). I know that's below the threshold recommended for the clear coat but it's pretty close and I didn't want to risk it (especially leaving the lights on for extended periods of time). Plus I wasn't too sure how clear the clear coat would stay from constant heat and water moisture. I felt a better plan was in store.

Option 2 was to get some acrylic, cut it to size, and seal it on with some silicon. Problem is that I don't own any tools (i.e. Dremel) that can do the job and I didn't want to invest in one that I won't use often enough to justify that expense.

So my final option was to stop by a crafts store and find some kind of clear disks made from glass or durable transparent plastic. I stopped on at Michael's and found just the thing! And it only costed me a whopping $1!!!

I found these Harry Potter glasses by the Halloween decor that fit just perfectly! Not only that, they are thick, pretty light weight, amd very clear. I popped out the lenses from the frames and siliconed those bad boys on the MR11's... And voila, shielded LED's...

So far so good :)

Here the pics:
 

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Awesome! Now I just need to find those glasses :)
 
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